Salvation
by CrimsonMistress
Summary: The fate of the Yautja race lies in a Gem of untold power...and the whole universe is racing to get it first. Mac-11 CQB is writing this with me! Rated for language...sorry, my bad. Better summary inside!
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: We don't own it Preds or Aliens or anything else in here that shouldn't belong to us, there, what more is there to say?

**Hello! And welcome one and all to the greatest AVP fiction that will ever be written!!!!**

**–Wakes up from useless daydream– Oh crap. Anyways. Where was I? Oh yeah.**

**Me (CrimsonMistress) and Mac (Mac­11 CQB) have combined our amazing fictional geniuses and pure intellect to create THIS! The beginning of our masterpiece!! –Mac holds up with a great flourish….a rubber chicken in a tutu– MAC! –CM hits Mac with the chicken– _Anyways_.**

**Anyone who likes my fic-in-progress, read, and Mac's fics and fic-in-progress, do read. Anyone who doesn't….well, it's your loss.**

**And BTW, I am SO sorry for not updating in AGES, but, alas, I have writers block….don't worry, it's coming!!!**

**Bigger Summary: **The Yautja race has been struck by disease. Only one among them is immune to its devastating symptoms, one of their greatest warriors, and they have sent him to find the one thing that can cure them. Along the way he meets a rather unorthodox but honorable bounty huntress/mercenary. Now the two are in a race against time and the rest of the universe to find the mythical Gemstone that could be the Yautja race's salvation…….or the key to their destruction.

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The Yautja leaped from the tree, trailing a creature whose skull would make a prime trophy. Indeed, the creature was already wounded, and was ailing quickly.

Suddenly a bout of dizziness struck the Yautja warrior and he fell, throwing out a hand at the last second to catch himself. He hung from a branch, shaking his head and clicking as the dizziness passed. He moved to swing himself up again, when a sudden cramp and wave of nausea hit him hard and a spasm in his muscles released his grip on the branch.

He fell far, slamming into the ground, hearing several ribs snap in the impact. The Yautja tore off his mask and heaved, vomiting the contents of his stomach onto he ground….and blood.

He climbed to his feet, forgetting the hunt and deducing he was not well at all. The Yautja warrior made his way, slowly and difficultly, back to his ship, his body riddled with nausea, craps, dizziness and sweat. He stumbled inside and put on the autopilot for home, before collapsing into unconsciousness in the ship's medical bay, allowing the ship to tend to him. (Aww! Poor baby! . ! I just want to love him and care for him and make him aaaaaaaaaaall better!)

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On the Yautja home world, two unblooded males were in mock-combat, when they were struck by the illness. They fell to their knees, panting and swaying, then heaving their last meal up, and blood. Soon most of the Yautja race, practically the greatest warriors in the universe, unmatched and supreme in their hunting styles, stoic in their honor, were struck down by an enemy that they could not fight, the they had no defense against, an enemy as deadly, swift and thorough as a Yautja's _ki'cti-pa_, double-bladed wrist-knife. But unlike the Yautja who welded those knives, this enemy had no honor, no qualms or scruples about who it struck down. Male, female, children, elders and those heavy with child, all fell before the incorporeal blade of disease.

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A dozen men sat around a table, papers, mugs of coffee, decanters of whisky, brandy and various other alcohols. One man sat alone, at the head of the table, and he was the first to speak.

"Now, I have called this reason for a distinct purpose, gentlemen. You will see each of you has a folder before you. It contains…….information about the Predators."

"What could you know about them that Wayland-Yutani Corporations doesn't?"

"I know, for a fact, that the hunters have been withdrawing from all over the universe and returning home. And I know for a fact, that those on hunts, were struck down suddenly but an illness."

"Illness?"

"Yes, and a recent exploration of this planet," a hologram of a planet appeared in the middle of the table, slowly revolving, "reveals a series of ruins and a rather large temple," the hologram zoomed in to a point on the planet, revealing said ruins and temple, "where writing, carved into the walls, reveals that this is the resting place of an ancient gem used by the predators to cure all diseases."

There was a silence.

"And…?"

"If the Predators are sick, they would undoubtedly be sending someone here to retrieve this gem."

"I see what you're getting at."

"Indeed, but we have located this gem first, and we have the key to the Predator's salvation! We hold their lives, literally, in our hands!"

"And we could exploit that."

"The cure…."

"In return for their services."

"A brilliant idea. But how will it work?"

"Ah, now, that's where you come in, my friends……."

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As the humans prepared to exploit the Yautja's sudden weakness, the rest of the universe, sought to do the same……except in quite a different manner. As Wayland-Yutani and the mysterious gentleman wished to control, the rest of the universe sought simply…..

….to destroy

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**Scarlet**

I was furious. A rock. A goddamn rock! They drag me from my first vacation in _ages_ for a ROCK! I am _so_ going to kill whoever thought of hiring us for this. I am smart, yes, and I can appreciate the historical significance of this 'rock', but _come on_!

Oh, don't be fooled, I'm no pushover nerd chick with glasses and a stack of books. I am smart, yes, but I can, and will, kick your ass eight ways from Sunday,

My name…well, no one knows my real name, except my best friend and partner Lynn, but she's not telling anyone.

I'm known as Scarlet River…guess why.

I'm a mercenary of sorts, a bounty hunter too, I suppose. Rough history, no parents, that's all that on my file, and that's all you're gonna get.

You pay me right, I'll do the job.

But don't be fooled by that either, I have strict sense of honor. I don't kill children or innocents.

On an execution, I…well, Lynn mostly, digs up history on those I am paid to kill. If there is not enough reason, I turn down the job. After that, it's not my concern, unless, of course, they hire me to protect them. I have hardly ever failed on a mission I have taken up and I'm proud of that.

But when Lynn came to me with this job…well, let's just say I was a little less than pleased.

Flashback 

"No fucking way!"

"Lettie!"

"Don't call me that! There are people here!"

Lynn pushed the glasses up her freckled nose and scowled at me, "But this stone could be of such historical significance, not to mention a medical breakthrough! It can cure _any_ disease dammit! Humans would never have to be sick again!"

"Whoopee for the human race," I muttered, sitting up and checking my tan. Yes, it was coming along nicely. "Not my concern!"

"It's just retrieval! They've already found it!"

"So?"

"They just need guards."

"Grab some grunts! I'm no babysitter!"

"They asked for us specifically!"

"Yeah, and?"

"Scarlet!"

"What?"

"They asked for _you_!"

"Lots of people ask for me!"

"It'll be dangerous!"

"So is life."

"You'll get to fight people and impress others with your fighting prowess!"

"Not gonna happen. Besides, if it's just retrieval, how dangerous could it be?"

"But-"

"No buts, Lynn, I'm not doing it. I'm on _vacation_! You know what that means? No blood, no guts, no missions," I sighed and leaned back in my bikini on a tropical beach on LV-1209. The sun beat down on me nicely and I was slightly light headed from the half-emptied glass of alcohol beside me, with a little blue umbrella. I love those things.

Lynn sighed and put her hands on her hips, eyeing me.

I put my arms behind my head, my sunglasses on my face and closed my eyes, smiling.

"So you're not going to do it?"

"Nope."

"You're just going to lie here on this beach?"

"Yep."

"Even if I go by myself into unimaginable danger?"

"Yeah," I hated the way I hesitated. Lynn wouldn't go without me, but she was my friend. The closest thing I'd ever had to family in a long time, besides a few other things.

I didn't want to lose that. Not her. Not again.

Lynn sighed in defeat, "Fine, fine, I know how stubborn you can be. I'm just gonna go tell them that they'll have to offer their $16.5 billion to someone else."

_Crap_.

"Huh?" I sat bolt upright and yanked off my glasses. "How much?"

"Oh, just 16.5 billion dollars. Nothing big or anything."

"Damn you, Lynn."

Lyn whirled and grinned, plait flying about her head, "So you'll do it."

It was a statement. She knew me too well.

I sat for a moment, thinking.

"Who the hell would pay me sixteen and a half billion dollars to go get a rock? No matter how dangerous the mission, or significant it is?" I scowled and sat back, resting my body on one arm. "Who's funding the trip?"

"Oh…uh…I don't know…let's see," Lynn looked at the file she carried in her hands. "Oh, well, well, well, it's Wayland-Yutani."

As it always did, that name sent rage flooding through my veins.

"Wayland-Yutani," I spat through clenched teeth. "Those assholes."

"I wonder what they could be up to with a rock?" breathed Lynn.

I glanced at Lynn. Like me, she held a deep hatred for WY. But not as deep as me. Not even she knew how much I hated them

Or why.

I stood slowly and signaled to a serving man to collect my things. Even if I wasn't going to be paid sixteen and a half billion, I still would have done it. WY is a dirty, vile, arrogant corporation full of stuck up assholes who would do anything for money and power. Something was up.

And I was gonna find out what.

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Rez'ek (I'm not sure if that'll be his real name) cut through another target with his spear. The predator was training in his own personal quarters as always. He stopped when he heard a knock on his door. The Yautja warrior approached the door when the rather impatient predator on the other side opened the door.

As the door was opened Rez'ek noticed several illness signs on the predator. He was on the brink of vomiting, his throat was dry, he had a heavy cough, and his eyes were bloodshot. _"High Council wishes to see you," _he said before fainting to the ground.

Rez'ek had a very important role. He was a hunter who specialized with every weapon in the Yautja arsenal. He was his own clan. Rez'ek had the most advanced weapons of his race. If there was something new he always got it. He always hunted alone and was always successful. He was only assigned the most dangerous of missions; ones that entire clans had failed in. It was a sort of one-man team special ops unit that never failed. If he were called on it was of extreme importance. However he had not gotten the satisfactory out of every mission that he had hoped for. He wanted something far more challenging where the odds were overwhelming.

As Rez'ek went to see the council he noticed every other hunter had the same illness signs as the predator who opened his door. Some even threw up as he walked by.

He finally reached the high council. They were inside a large temple. He entered. The inside of it was bright and on the walls were insignias carved in by the greatest Yautja. His own insignia was somewhere inside, but now was not the time to look for it.

Rez'ek entered the room that the high council's clan resided in. Once in their presence he got on one knee and bowed. He was given the order rise and as he looked up he saw the clan of the high council was sick too. The council would be made of the primary clan of the most honorable pack of Yautja. It was usually six, but one was killed. _"Greetings, Merc'rk. To what honor do I owe this visit?" _he asked. Merc'rk gave a cough and then spoke. _"I bring you sickening information and I have a mission for you," _he began. _"Our race has fallen ill under some sort of deadly virus. The Gem stone of Reshak's unlimited healing has been stolen by soft meat. Since we already used the gem on you I had hoped you would not be a subject to it. You must retrieve the gem before our enemies find out we have been weakened. You are the only one who can save your race. You will gain much honor for this," _he finished.

This was exactly what Rez'ek wanted, a hunt worthy of the greatest hunter. _"The gem will be back in our possession soon," _he replied. He stood up and left to his ship.

His ship was enormous. It had an almost unlimited power supply and a large weapon arsenal. The ship activated as soon as he walked in. The Predator looked at his computer and checked the system. Someone had already entered in the coordinates. Someone had also packed the ship with all the food and water needed. He guessed the high council had ordered it even before they called him. Rez'ek set it to autopilot. The ship lifted off the ground with no controls pushed. It flew towards the planet LV-1201 where the gem was supposedly held.

Unknown to the ship it was being watched by an enemy space vessel. As soon as Rez'ek's vessel went into warp speed and out of sight the unknown ship followed.

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"What?"

My lips barely moved as I stared at the scientists.

"Uh…well…the uh Gem you were supposed to get was....uh….stolen?"

"Stolen?"

My voice was calm and quiet, and Lynn was looking for the nearest object to hide behind.

"It was stolen?" I purred, I sucked in a deep breath.

Lynn squeaked and dove behind some guards.

"YOU DRAGGED ME OUT OF MY FIRST VACATION TO BABYSIT A ROCK AND NOW YOU'RE TELLING ME THE ROCK WAS _STOLEN_?!?!?!?" I roared.

The scientists quailed.

Obviously my reputation precedes me.

"That's it, Lynn," I snarled. "We're outta here!"

"Wait!" said a commanding voice.

I froze and snarled over my shoulder, "What?"

"We'll give you five hundred billion to get it back."

I froze. That's a lot of zeros. I turned slowly to look at the man who had spoken.

"Five hundred billion dollars," said the man. "Think about it. You'd not only be able to go on vacation and lounge on a beach, you could _buy_ a beach….and the island….and the planet." (Kinds stole that form Sinbad ok?)

I looked suspiciously at the man, and then said slowly, "Who's coming with me?"

"You're friend there, some soldier and a few scientists."

I narrowed my eyes, something was really up. I stared at the man, and the way he held himself screamed 'I am an important Wayland-Yutani official and you _will_ obey me!"

I sucked in a breath through my nose, "Who stole the Gem?"

"Xenomorph."

I swear you could have heard a pin drop.

"Bugs?"

"Yes."

"Bugs stole then gem?"

"I believe that's what I said."

I pursed my lips, "That doesn't make sense."

"It doesn't have to make sense," snapped the man. "You just have to know it happened. And now you'll get it back, and we'll pay you five hundred billion and pay for all damages."

I was silent, my gut was screaming something was off, and I knew to trust my gut.

I glanced at Lynn, who was also scowling.

I looked back with a sigh, "I'll do it."

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**So? So? What do you think? Is it good? Of course it's good, but how good? You wanna hear more? Got any questions for the marvelous author and authoress? Any suggestions, well al you have to do is click the tiny GO button down the bottom and let me know, and I'll forward your much-needed support to Mac!**

**Love yas!**

**XXXX**

**The _CrimsonMistress_**


	2. Chapter II

Disclaimer: We don't own it. Simple.

**Hello, hello friends and companions! Welcome to next installment of Salvation! The duo-written fanfiction between Moi, CrimsonMistress, and my friend Mac-11 CQB!!! Ready and enjoy!**

**Rez'ek**

Rez'ek walked to his weapons room. If he was on his ship he might as well check out how his weapons were. The first he grabbed was his plasma caster. This was his most powerful and heaviest weapon. He inserted the power source and cocked it. The hunter attached it to his shoulder. Second he grabbed his discus. This was with out doubt his one shot one kill weapon. He attached it to his side and then grabbed his spear gun. It was basically the predator's version of a sniper rifle. It folded up and he put on himself. Next he picked up his favorite weapon, which was his spear. He unfolded it and then ran his hand across the blade to get a feel for it.

A loud beep came from the computer, which meant that the planet was in visual range. Rez'ek headed to the bridge where he could see out through the window and sure enough there it was. It was still a little far away, but he could see it non-the less. The ship automatically came out of warp drive and cruised to the planet. The predator grabbed the rest of his weapons and headed to the area in his ship with the drop pods. They were basically made so he could climb in and fall to the planet unharmed.

Once he got in he pushed the release button and it sent him flying at the planet at an amazing speed. The warrior climbed out and he found himself in a vast jungle. Rez'ek remembered the high council said that the soft meat took it. He looked at his wrist computer. It read some soft meat about a few miles away.

He looked up and his thermal vision picked up a Xenomorph. It was drone and it was staring back at him. Rez'ek smirked. He loved to kill aliens. Fighting both aliens and humans did have their advantages and disadvantages. Humans had technology and weapons. However most of them get scared easily and their technology still couldn't rival that of his race. Aliens showed no fear and were merciless killing machines. They always fought back with equal ferocity. However they possessed no weapons or technology.

Rez'ek grabbed his spear. Right now he was in a rush to get the gem with his race at stake and would kill any Xenomorph that would be stupid enough to get in his way.

**Scarlet**

Why did they never take no for an answer?

I was sitting in the back of the APT, going over some files, when some cocky green grunt came up to me and flirted like there was no tomorrow!

Asshole.

You could tell how lame he was from his opener, "Hey, I'm Corporal Newcombâ. you're heard of me no doubt."

Good god.

I swear I was gonna smack his smug grin to his ass in a sec.

Lynn was in our ship, coasting behind us, and there were no guys with her. Not that it mattered of course, I _had_ taught her well.

Crap, I smiled.

"So, you like that huh?" drawled Newcomb. "Yeeees well I've seen a lot of bug actionâ.got scars to tell toâ.wanna see them?"

Not particularly.

"Of course then I'd have to take off my shirt.."

Someone shoot him now. Or me. Me would be good.

"Of course, I haven't only killed bugs, I've killed ex-marines, mercenaries, you know, bad guys."

What was I supposed to do now? Gush and flutter my eyelashes and say what a hero he was?

Fuck no.

"Oh, and I've down a predator, now he was a-"

"_Scarlet, the ship scanners are picking up something._"

I tilted my head and touched the communicator on my ear, "What?"

"_A ship, it entered the orbit about ten minutes ago and landed_ _near our destination._ _It's a Predator ship, Scarlet._"

I hesitated, "I took them with me, so don't worry."

Lynn would know then that I didn't want the others to know.

"_We need to be careful, you know Wayland-Yutani would love to get their grimy hands on a pred_"

"You're cooking sucks," I said. "After this mission, we're going to LV 1209 for some quality take out ok?"

I heard Lynn laugh, I LOVED her cooking and she knew it. My cooking turned into little black crispy bits.

I scowled, a predatorâhere?

I glanced at the Wayland-Yutani corporate soldiers accompanying us. Something was definitely up, and it had something to do with the Predators.

"Okay people!" said the man in charge, a Major whose name I couldn't pronounce. "We're setting down here and going on foot the rest of the way!"

I glanced at the lieutenant in charge of the marines on this trip. He was as sour about this corporate Major as I was.

I slowly stood and want into a back room, quickly changing into my battle gear. It looked provocative, a skin-tight body suit made of black material, but it wasn't meant to be. It was heat-insulating and sleek and aerodynamic. A vest went over the tip, and a gun holster and clips and a bowie knife strapped to my thigh. A butterfly knife in one boot and a laser cutter in the other. Two utility belts looped loosely around my waist and one tightly. I slipped on my lucky necklace and stepped out, immediately greeted with wolf whistles and obscene comments.

Chauvinistic pigs.

"Rivers!" barked the major.

Here we go.

"You will not be dressed in that manner on this trip! I order you to change! I don't know what kind of pansy assed trip you've been on before, but this aint no fashion parade missy, is that understood?!"

I turned to look at him and slipped off my sunglasses, letting one golden slit-pupiled eye glare at him through my black and blood-red tipped fringe.

"Major," I purred. "This is not the first, nor the last mission I will be on, nor the most dangerous. I have been sought out by many people for my expertise and thoroughness. I was on my first vacation in _years_ when I took up this job. Do not piss me off. I take orders from no one and nothing. I will do this my way, and I suggest you _stay_ out of my way or I will _make_ you." I turned from the spluttering major and placed my sunglasses back on and looked at the corporal.

"And you," I said. "My file says I am a class A first degree psychic. If you so much as _think_ about hitting on me again like that ridiculously pathetic display back there, I will make you live out the rest of your life thinking you're a six-year-old girl."

I whirled and stalked away, a small smile touching my mouth.

"_I heard that_."

"Good."

Moments later, we were tracking through the dense jungle of the planet. Well, _they_ were. _I _ however, was in the trees, leaping from branch to branch with agility that no human was born with.

I paused and glanced back, seeing Lynn leaping lightly across the uneven ground, while the others struggled through the dense grass.

I lifted my head suddenly when I heard a distant roar that never failed to send chills down my spine.

I signaled to Lynn then hurried through the treetops towards the Predator's victory cry. After long moments, I came upon the ship it wasn't very large, perhaps fit for one or two. Then I heard Xenomorph cries and snapped around, drawing a gun.

I walked slowly and came upon a sight that both amazed me and frightened me.

A single large Predator was hacking his way across a clearing, and dozens upon dozens of Xeno lay dead and dying about him. There was about five left and I watches in awe as he dropped them with precision expertise.

At least thirty Xenomorph lay dead, and he had not one scratch one him. his spear folded up and he stood for a moment, panting.

I leaned back in the tree, unable to move. I was awestruck by the presence of such a warrior. I had been closer to three Predators before, indeed, on the receiving end of one of their spears once, and I wore the necklace of an Elder I had freed about my neck. It touched the teeth and small animal skull, which rested right over the scar over my heart.

Suddenly the hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up and I froze.

An ominous hiss sounded from behind me and I swore, so engrossed I had been in the Predator's fight, I ignored my own danger.

I closed my eyes, five drones

I slowly cocked my gun and saw the Predator jerk. They have good hearing, obviously. I slid my bowie knife from my boot. I couldn't me concerned with him just nowâI had my own problem, opening its mouth right behind my head.

As the mini-mouth snapped out, I dipped my shoulder and spun, slicing through the mouth with my bowie knife. The Xenos screeched and struck me, sending me crashing onto another branch, three long gashes opening in my back. I snapped a hand out to catch myself, biting back a cry as my ribs jarred.

As the other Xeno flailed, the other four quickly leaped down to engage me and I knew that I was trapped.

I did the only thing I could.

I let go and fell the twenty feet to the ground.

**Rez'ek**

Another Xenomorph pounced at him. Rez'ek stepped to the side and, as it passed him, he grabbed its tail. He swung it by the tail into a tree. The hunter walked up to the Alien Drone that was lying dazed on the ground. He grabbed it by the neck and lifted it off the ground. He exerted pressure and was rewarded with a defining crack of the neck. He then dropped the dead Xenomorph on the ground.

Rez'ek continued to leap from tree to tree towards the human base. He checked his computer again. Yes, he was heading in the right direction. He leaped a few more trees and kept going.

Suddenly he heard something. He stopped and remained silent. There were foot steps coming from under him. The cloaked hunter looked down and found a patrol of marines. There were six of them and two were holding smart guns while the others were using pulse rifles.

"I'm telling you the motion tracker read something," said one of the smart gun holders. "Well, it isn't now and I don't see or hear anything. Now stop stalling and let's get out of here," said one of the pulse rifle users. By the formation they were in he guess the marine who just spoke was the leader. He was about to kill them when he remembered humans build structures with tight security and if he wanted to see how they got inside theirs he would need to see someone else do it.

He followed them to the base. It was pretty large for a base thought Rez'ek. In front of two large doors were two guards. The marines talked to him for a second and one of them opened the door. Inside passed the doors were two more guards. 'That was it' thought the hunter almost disappointed. As soon as the doors closed he waited for a while for the marines who just walked inside to walk around and get away form the door. The less people who saw him the better.

The Predator grabbed his spear gun and aimed it at the two human guards out front. He squeezed his trigger twice. Two perfect head shots, two dead guards. His mandibles began clicking with satisfaction.

Rez'ek switched to X-Ray vision. He could see two human skeletons walking around inside. They were the two inside guards. In the Predator's vision a lock on came on each of the skeletons with a one in his native numerals on the fist guard and a two on the second. He threw the disc. It pierced the thick metal doors and flew on right into the first guard. The second ran for the alarm, but the discus quickly caught up with him and sliced off his head. After it killed its targets the discus pierced the door again and flew out into the Predator's grip.

The cloaked hunter put his disc away and jumped out of the tree. He switched back to thermal vision and inspected the door. He wanted to maintain a low profile and simply ripping down the doors would make a lot of noise. Rez'ek looked at what the man used to open the door. It was a hand shaped scanner on the right of the door. The Predator immediately knew what to do next. He drew his wrist blades and cut off the hand of one of the dead guards. He took off the glove and put the hand on the scanner. It took only a second to read it. The doors opened and the hunter entered through. He quickly hid the bodies.

He walked down a tunnel that was big enough for an APC (Armored Personal Transport). Rez'ek walked kept walking when he found an air vent. It was big enough for him to fit through. He ripped the cover off with his wrist blades and crawled through.

He kept crawling when he started seeing lights that came from more vent covered openings. The hunter looked through and saw several humans talking. He was in the vent of the mess hall where marines would get drunk all the time. Rez'ek kept crawling and found another vent cover. He looked through and saw a girl scientist flirting a marine. 'Not here' he thought and continued his crawl through the ventilation systems.

He stopped when he found another vent. This one was open and had a ladder to it as if a human was supposed to climb up into it. Outside were two voices. "So I guess that means we lost the bet," said one of them. "Yeah, the 49ers lost again," said the other. "Oh well. Time for me to clean the vents," said the first guy. He heard foot steps coming up the ladder. Rez'ek grabbed his spear and it silently unfolded. As soon as the man came up from the ladder the sharp alien alloy cut through his body. He didn't even have time to scream.

The stealthy hunter climbed out and slid down the ladder. The other guy that was talking turned around and looked at the transparent figure in front of him he was armed with a pistol at his side and immediately reached for it, but Rez'ek's plasma caster was faster. It lifted off his shoulder and the laser sights were on the man before he could cock his gun. A bolt of plasma shot out from the barrel tore through the guy like a hot knife through butter. His dead body fell to the ground.

Rez'ek climbed out of the vents and headed down a hall way. He came to a screeching halt when he found a door labeled "security room". He had studied some human language and could read a little of it, but he recognized this one very much from recent hunts. If he took out their security he could easily steal the gem unnoticed and get out before they even knew what hit them.

The Predator stuck his claws in the edge out the door and forced it open. The head of security was at a chair in front of dozens of monitors. He heard the door open and turned around. "Hey, Bobby, do you have my coff..." he started, but his expression turned to complete shock when he saw the cloaked Predator there. Before he could react Rez'ek shoved his spear into the man's stomach instantly killing him. He ripped out his blood stained spear and let the head of security's dead body fall to the floor.

Rez'ek aimed his plasma caster for what he guessed was the main computer, but stopped when he heard two people on one of the monitors talking about a large blue gem. He listened harder. "So what about it? It's just another sapphire," said one of them. "Not just any sapphire. It can heal any disease. We don't know how it works, but we know its function from reading the hieroglyphics we found on the walls," said the other. "Where is this gem anyway?" asked the other scientist. This was just the question that Rez'ek wanted him to ask. "That's what I'm trying to tell you! The Xenomorph know something we don't and stole the gem," answered the first scientist.

'What!' thought Rez'ek. The hard meat took it. That meant they knew that his race fell under the deadly virus and keeping it until his race died.

He fired his shoulder mounted caster and the plasma blew apart the machine. The whole security room turned off. His guess for the main computer was right. The cloaked hunter left the room. He went back and climbed back into the vent. He continued to crawl back the way he came.

Once he was back in the APC tunnel he left back to the doors. This time he could rip open the doors, because it didn't matter who heard now. He left back to his ship with an extreme hatred toward the Xenomorphs, but he had to give them credit for they were smarter than he thought they were.

**A short while later...**

Once back in his ship he reloaded his spear gun and ate a quick meal. Rez'ek left his ship and headed out. He leaped into a tree and opened his wrist computer and it read a hive not too far from him.

Not a moment after he closed it an alien drone pounced on him. The impact was hard and both he and the drone fell out of the tree. Apparently the aliens knew where he was heading. They probably didn't know why he was immune to the virus, but he was sure they knew he was after the gem.

Rez'ek kicked off the alien and his plasma caster did the rest. As soon as he got up he saw a small army of hard meat. There were at least thirty-seven of them, but he didn't care for they would only suffer his wrath. He grabbed his spear and went on one of his most heaviest slaughterings.

A few short moments later there were only seven Xenomorphs left and not a wound on him. A few of them disappeared from his sight, but he was busy with the main enemy. One of the survivors was a praetorian. His spear cut off the large alien's head and it fell to the ground when suddenly his keen hearing picked up the sound of a gun getting cocked. He turned around and saw a young human female wearing some tactical clothing standing in a twenty foot tall tree.

He looked back and saw that three aliens were swiping at her with their claws. For a human she had a quick reaction speed. She dodged the first three attacks, but a forth got her side. There were three deep cuts in her side. She was now cornered. Her choices were either fall twenty feet or get eaten alive. She fell.

Rez'ek sprinted toward the spot she would have fallen. She would have landed hard and broken her leg or severely injured herself, but an inch away from the ground and the Yautja warrior and snatched her ankle. Her head was a foot and a half away from the ground. Rez'ek was two and a half meters tall and holding her by the ankle at his head level still made him look tall.

The hunter grabbed five of his ring shuriken and put them on each one of his fingers. He activated them and threw them toward five targets. Each one hit and killed. His plasma caster activated and shot another one out of a tree.

The Predator was still holding her upside down by her leg. He looked at her. The only reason he had saved her was because if she got out here where he was she must have fought many hard meat and that would make her a worthy opponent. Rez'ek could challenge her himself and have a worthy battle. It had been a while since he had an interesting one on one opponent. It was then that he realized his holding her upside down was making the blood rush to her head and she was getting dizzy.

Rez'ek let go of her ankle and dropped her on her head. She shook off the dizziness and stood up. The warrior held his spear pointed at her. She knew what it meant. It was a challenge. The young human female in response grabbed the belt holding her weapons. She grabbed her pistol and took aim.

The pistol she held looked as if it was aimed at him. Rez'ek wasn't worried. The bullets would only bounce off his armor. She pulled the trigger. To his surprise it hit an alien drone that was just getting ready to pounce on him from a nearby tree. It was a perfect shot that rivaled his own aim. The bullet flew straight into the drone's mouth and continued its way into the smaller mouth inside. The alien feel out of the tree and landed on the ground dead.

Rez'ek looked at her. His spear was still aimed at her so the challenge still remained. She slowly unbuckled her belt and kicked it away. She didn't want to fight. Rez'ek was disappointed, because she seemed like such a worthy opponent. He folded up his spear and put it away. The predator turned his back towards her and walked away.

**Scarlet**

I stared in amazement as the Predator walked away, dismissing me like some useless baggage.

Jerk

He was soooo male.

I shook my head and took a deep breath slowly, feeling the wounds in my side beginning to close slowly. It has puzzled me why he had saved meâ.but then he challenged meâ.

I thought saving him would be enough, but I had to discard my weapons before he knew I wouldn't fight him.

I gathered up my belts and weapons once more and put them on, examining my side as the three gashes in my body suit sealed over my non-existent wounds.

The wonders of nanotechnology.

I was just leaving the clearing to go find the others, when my brain clicked and I whirled.

He wasn't on a hunt.

If he was on a hunt, the fact that I had had a weapon would have been enough to get him to attack me, weather I had discarded my weapons or notâ.and if he was on a huntâ..he would have taken the skullsâ.which he hadn't.

So why the fuck was he here?

**Duh duh duh!!! New chapter done! How do you like it? Not too many flamers please!**

**As always, review review review! It really helps when we get input!**

**See y'all next time on _Salvation_!**

XXX

_CrimsonMistress_


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